Autumn Onion sets

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It’s not too late to plant your early onion sets. From September right through to December, planting now will result in a strong overwintered crop in May to July.

When you plant your sets, ensure that the soil is worked to a fine till. Do not plant on a freshly manured bed and in a spot where you haven’t grown onions for a while to minimise the risk of disease. Space each onion 15cm apart and in rows. Planting your onions in a hatched pattern may look nice, but row planting will be far easier to hoe between. It is important that your onion plot is kept weed free. Make holes for each set and insert them leaving just the tops showing. Don’t push into the ground as this may damage the set resulting in a weaker plant.

If you have chosen to hand pick your sets, select the smaller ones as large sets have a tendency to bolt (produce a flower and reduce edible portion).

You may find that birds or mice pull the sets out of the ground within a few days after planting. This shouldn’t cause any problems, just keep an eye on your onions for the first few weeks, placing them back into their holes. Netting should stop this from happening. To get the most out of your onions, use chicken manure pellets.

Autumn/Winter onions sets to try

Senshyu

One of the original ‘Japanese overwintered’ varieties which has proven successful for many years. Semi flat, more yellow/brown skinned for late June maturity.

White Lisbon (spring onion variety)

The traditional and most popular Spring Onion for successional sowings. Spring Onion White Lisbon produces long, white stems and bright green tops, and slow to bulb. Spring Onion White Lisbon is delicious when young or a more pungent flavour as bulbs swell. Easy to grow.

Bred to give increased Hybrid vigour, garden performance and flavour, thus increasing your harvest. Due to their wide ranging pest and disease resistance, there will be no need for the use of chemicals, making them ideal for organic gardeners.